RUNNING WILD

Stepping off the beaten track, Isabella Machin sees more of Kenya - and its inhabitants - on the Lewa Safari Marathon

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My heart fights against the thin-breathed strain of altitude at more than 1,500 metres above sea level, as loose stones crunch beneath my feet on the auburn sandy road. Trusting my instinct for balance, I glance up to see endangered Grevy zebras reticulated giraffes and even a white rhino eager to cross the meandering path now shared by more than 1,400 participants. I watch in bewilderment, then urge my legs on under the awakening African sun.

It is 8am, and I am running deeper - 13.2 miles to be exact - into the 62,000 acres of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, nestled within the Mount Kenya Unesco world heritage site. Located in northern Meru County, Lewa is a heart-palpitating 50-minute bush plane journey from Nairobi.

I am one of 60 international runners participating in the 25th anniversary of the Lewa Safari Marathon, an event run by charity Tusk Trust in partnership with Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and Safaricom. The land the conservancy sits on has been home to the Craig family since 1924, who made the decision in the 1980s to commit part of the area to protecting declining black rhino numbers - a commitment they continue today.

Each stride edges me further into complete surrealism as we twist and turn further into the mercy of the African bush. A soft breeze tickles my neck, carrying smells of nearby wildlife mixed with the scent of rosemary from local herbs. My senses switch as I spot one of the extraordinary water and misting stations - a tunnel of very welcomed sprinklers.